Rotary football helmet



Oct. 20, 1964 z. NEDwlcK RoTARY FOOTBALL HELMET Filed Feb. 28, '1962 y mw. w ww f ,W 4 w w y M 3,153,242 RGTARY FTEALL HELMET Zygmnnd Nedwick, 39 Poplar Place, Glen Cove, N.Y. Filed Feb. 28,1962, Ser. No. 176,260 2 claims. (Cl. 2--3) This invention relates to head protectors and more part' between the ear flaps to protect the base of the skull, and

then a resilient or elastic sling between the padded leather helmet and the head of the Wearer. The sling does not necessarily contour to the particular shape of the wearer's head. With the -advent o-f plastics, leather was replaced. Plastic cases are more reasona'ble to manufacture, Stronger land can be permanently colored. However, plastic helmets are known to break laying the wearer open to injury. Thus, plastic helmets did not alleviate all head injuries snlfered by wearers of leather helmets which were weaker than those o-f plastic.

Accordingly, an object of this inventio-n is to provide a football type helmet of the plastic variety which remains intact after a severe shock.

United StatesPatent O ce Another object of this invention is to provide a football i l type helmet which is a resiliently connected case portion which resists breakage when struck. V

Another object of thisinvention is to provide a strong and rgid head protector which resists breaking when struckrand has resilient means for absorbing the force of impact.

Another object of this inveniton is to' provide snugness and adaptation to fit to the Contour of the wearers head and yet maintain space between the head and the outer case.

Another object of this invention is to provide a means for release of the face guard when it is grabbed or pnlled to avoid resultant whip lash of the neck caused when the face guard and helmet are integral.

These and other objects and advantages will become more apparent by referring to the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a helmet made in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view similar to FIGURE 1 with portons of the novel helmet shown diagramrnatically in section,

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a clip for connecting a face protector to the helmet.

Referring now to the drawings, a helmet constructed lin accordance with the invention is comprised for four main protecing parts in addition to interconnections.V These are the'inner helmet 10, a face guard 19, a super structure or intermediate frame 25, and an outer Shell 26.

The inner helmet 10 is similar 'to a normal football lshells which are adequately padded on the inside.

Fatented Oct. 20, 1964 helmet with the crown removed, and is separated or cut at the forehead, the back of the head and at the temple areas to provide a pair of frontal portons 11 and a pair of back portons 12 that include ear flaps and skirt 13. Elastic strips 14 connect to the inside of and hold the portons ,11 and 12, 13 together.

The inner helmet portons are made of hard plastic A pair of semi-elastic cross straps 15 are connected to portions 11 and 12 and support a resilient pad 16 connected thereto at their intersection. The semi-elastic cross straps form a head cradle.

Two intermediate members 25 (one is not shown) are connected to or vare integral with the plastic shells of portons 11 and 12 and are relatively rigid. The outside intermediate member 25 provides a platform for mounting the outer Shell 26.

A coil spring 27 is connected centrally to the intermediate structure 25 and has a plate 28 connected to its upper end. Plate 28 has a centrally bulged portion and is retained in a cup member 29 that is attached to the inside of the outer shell 26. A series of balls 39 are disposed inbetween the cup 29 and the plate 23 thatencircle the central plate bulge to form an antifriction bearing between the intermediate structure 25 and the outer shell 26. Thus, spring 27 permits dis-V placement of the outer shell 26 without transmitting the displacing force to the rest of the helmet While the bearing formed by the plate 28, the cup 29 and the balls 30 perrnit rotation' of the shell 26.

The novel helmet is held on the wearers head by a con- `ventional chin strap that is inserted in slots 17 in the earfiaps 13. A face guard or protector 19 is also connected to the inner' helmet 10' by clips 20, as shown in preferred form, obviously modifications and changes mayV be made without Vdeparting from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I clam is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A football helmet comprising an inner open crown member adapted to be placed on the head of a wearer, ear flaps and a skirt connected-to each other and said helmet for protecting the base of such wearefs skull, cross` straps adapted to receive a wearefs head being connected to the inner portion of and disposed across the open crown member, an intermediate structure connected to the inner crown member being substantially rgid and spaced from the cross straps, an outer shell connected to the intermediate structure being spaced therefrom to surround the open crown and overlap the inner crown member, a coil spring connected at one end to said intermediate member, and a bearing having two portons rotatable relative to one another, one of said aisaziz i shock absorption When vthe intermediate structure is 10 displaced toward the Wearer's head.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Slotorof Apr. 9, Flanagan Aug. 20, Knight May 22, Galanis Dec. 13, Rozzi June 6,

FOREIGN PATENTS Austria Nov. 25,'

Great Britain Dec. 11, 

1. A FOOTBALL HELMET COMPRISING AN INNER OPEN CROWN MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE PLACED ON THE HEAD OF A WEARER, EAR FLAPS AND SKIRT CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER AND SAID HELMET FOR PROTECTING THE BASE OF SUCH WEARER''S SKULL CROSS STRAPS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A WEARER''S HEAD BEING CONNECTED TO THE INNER PORTION OF AND DISPOSED ACROSS THE OPEN CROWN MEMBER, AN INTERMEDIATE STRUCTURE CONNECTED TO THE INNER CROWN MEMBER BEIN SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID AND SPACED FROM THE CROSS STRAPS, AND OUTER SHELL CONNECTED TO THE INTERMEDIATE STRUCTURE BEING SPACED THEREFROM TO SURROUNDED THE OPEN CROWN AND OVERLAP THE INNER CROWN MEMBER, A COIL SPRING CONNECTED AT ONE END TO SAID INTERMEDIATE MEMBER, AND A BEARING HAVING TWO PORTIONS ROTATABLE RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER, ONE OF SAID ROTATABLE PORTIONS BEING CONNECTED TO THE END OF SAID SPRING AND THE OTHER BEING CONNECTED TO SAID OUTER SHELL SO SAID SPRING AND SAID BEARING COOPERATE TO RESILIENTLY AND ROTATIVELY CONNECT THE OUTER SHELL TO THE REST OF THE HELMET. 